How timely to read on houzz an article about FLAGS, seeing as today marks the cusp of a three-day holiday weekend here in the States: for Memorial Day.

Author Alison Hodgson’s own decorating scheme is shown in the photo: a pleated fan above the door; flags line the walkway.

The building my mother lives in has a flag pole — flag flaps in the breeze all weathers, all hours. So it is a surprise to read that although the ‘inclement’ weather indicative should be observed, the lowering at sunset has looser restrictions. If the flag is illuminated it can fly at night.

I’ve been looking forward to today’s date for days: October 11, 2012 — or, 10/11/12. It just rolls off the tongue!

I couldn’t wait to point out the date to our Soft-Treatment Guru, a very lucky fellow who too-frequently wins with scratch tickets. Surely today would add to his luck! His reaction was very dull indeed…. Ah, balloon faded a bit…

Numbers are important to a company like CellularWindowShades.com — why? because without numbers, and accurate ones to boot, we couldn’t build our shades. EVERYthing is calculated beforehand so that all the parts fit together like a finely-crafted glove. In this instance, a glove against cold drafts and heating sun-rays.

So, while many couples will be hearing wedding bells on 12/12/12 – maybe more bridal homes would like a nuptials facelift along the lines of Dan in Maine. I still think his new skylight shades “rescued” the wedding!

I’ve chosen this picture because it not only shows shades, it is a room with at least FOUR skylights! So many people I’ve spoken with this week have been COOKING under their exposed skylights. Some readers of The Inside Scoop at CellularWindowShades may not realize that, yes, we make shades for all sorts of openings — including skylights.

If you, like them, are looking for relief from the heat, check out the two skylight styles CellularWindowShades.com offers: the “Balcony Skylight Shade” and the “Daylight Skylight Shade“, this later is for more expansive (wide and/or long) openings.

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And a different sort of battle: 16th August represents Bennington Battle Day in Vermont. Read about the original Revolutionary War battle and, if you’re in the area, check out the Events around this year’s commemoration. The Annual Bennington Battle Day Parade takes place on Sunday. Organizers are predicting “nice weather” and “nice music”!

The Green Building Forum, in the UK, featured this recent Q&A session about blinds. One forum-poster, JT, confessed “I think I’ve been so fixated on heat loss that I hadn’t given thought to avoiding overheating.”

With July temperatures already wilting many communities, OVERheating — through glass found in windows, patio doors, and skylights — is a concern.

Of exceptional interest is James’s link to this article on Thermal Performance of Traditional Windows. I have “original” windows in my modest Cape-style home here in Vermont, and have blogged a couple of times about the value and also the historic desirability of original sash windows (never mind the landfill conundrum). This article actually uses the phrase “evidence is available to counteract some of the misconceptions about the energy efficiency of original timber sash windows“. They advocate simple repairs and “basic improvements”.

In point number 3, where there is discussion of curtains and “roller blinds”, imagine how much more effective and efficient those windows could be with Cellular window shades. We’ve got data to back up our assertions: Check out our R-values for Cellular Shades page.

If the UK strives to target U-value for windows of 2 or below then more windows should be covered by Cellular Shades: “To compare R-value and U-factor, divide 1 by the U-factor number,” says the site Efficient Windows.org. Using this to get an R-value for “high performance double-pane windows” -> with a U-factor of 0.30 on average – that equates an R-value of 3.33.

This R-value is desirable: and what comes close is the Light Filtering Cellular Window shade fabric, with an R-value of 2.8.

Add side tracks to that same shade and you’ve raised the R-value to 3.3 — and tied that “high performance double-pane” window.

Use Black Out fabric rather than Light Filtering fabric and you up those values even more: R-value of 4.0 and, if you add side tracks, 4.7.

These numbers are for SHADE ALONE. Once you factor in the window itself, you’re potentially reaching R-values in the range of 8.2.

So how does all this help with keeping OUT the hot weather, as well as keeping in HEAT during the winter months?

English Heritage has produced a video Sash Windows – Why They Are Worth Keeping. The same link also gives access to a couple of well-thought-out publications on improving thermal performance.

It’s a two-way street: What improves to keep heating inside rather than dissipating to the outdoors also helps keep the sweltering outdoor temperatures from impacting your internal temperature. If outdoor heat doesn’t enter your premises, then your cooling system — whether a/c units or fans — can relax and work much less.

Remember the line from Sunset Boulevard: “They had faces then” –Norma Desmond knew that visuals were worth a thousand words.

With films routinely being made in “3-D” — giving “faces” noses, chins, and cheekbones — now is the time for The Inside Scoopto break through the wall (no pun intended) and talk about our own “third-dimension”.

Orders will always inquire about the width of a shade, the length of a shade. Twice today my colleague and I have taken phone calls that brought to mind the undiscussed dimension: that of DEPTH.

My Colleague’s caller wanted to know the measurement of the side retainer tracks. These pieces appear at the sides of our Skylight Shades (shade schematics) and the left one is seen on the left side of this photo (above).

They measure a good 2-inches, in depth.

My caller had difficulty quantifying “depth” – because the measuring guide made no mention of it. The Product Information, which should be the first page consulted, gives all our max and mins. The minimum depth required for mounting a Skylight Shade is given there as 1 and 1/4-inches. Of course that means that if your tracks measure 2-inches – there is an addition inch and a quarter that juts out beyond the opening.

While we custom-make every shade to your dimensions, the dimension of depth is possibly the most important measurement you can take.

So, a word to the wise: Always account for the third-dimension!

The skylight opening pictured at right has no bottom “shelf”. Can CellularWindowShades build a shade to fit this space? Yes — but, that fourth side needs to be built, then a set of length measurements taken. Why? Because the shade has brackets at the bottom and top — it’s the middle rail that moves so the shade opens and closes.

This photo at left has it all: four sides, with 90-degree corners; a depth greater than 1.25 inches. The photo shows the shade at the interior edge, but you could place that shade further into the “box”, just as long as the shade is not right up against the glass.